Fire-escape



(No Model.)

' D. J. ARNOLD.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 301,657. Patented July 8, 1884.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEYS.

I UNITED A STATES PATENT FFICE.

DON JUAN ARNOLD, or BROWrIvILLE, NEBRASKA, nssrenon 'ro HIMSELF, AND PHILIP A. THOMPSON, or LANGDON, MIssoURI.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

QPECIIEICATIO N forming part of Letters Patent No. 301,657, dated July 8,1884. Application filed April 14, 1883. (No model.)

T aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DON J. ARNOLD, of Brownville, in the county of Nemaha and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes, having for its object to secure safety of descent, and to provide rapid accom- 1o niodation by a common means to each of the persons seeking escape; and it consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully described and claimed. 7

1 Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin g part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of iny improved 2o fire-escape with some of the parts broken out,

and Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

The cord a, by which the escape is to be made, is coiled on a drum, b, the shaft 0 of which gears by a ratchet, d, fixed on a shaft,

2 5 c, with the large driving-wheel f, which is loose on shaft 0, and carries a spring-pressed pawl, 13, for engaging ratchet d, so that when the ropeis winding off from the drum -motion is given to the high-speed brake'wheel g by the train It, i, and j by gearing of wheel f with pinionh, and motion is also given to the governor 7c by the crown-wheel Z,fixed to wheel f, so that the governor may apply the brake m to the rim of the brake-wheel, and thus reg 5 nlate the speed of the drum, so that persons may descend with safety by the rope, the speed being not materially different with per sons differing in weight. The high speed of the brake-wheel makes it very sensitive to the 0 pressureof the brake, and enables a centrifugal governor of ordinary construction to safely regulate the descent of a person from high buildings. The brake m is fixed on a pivot at '22., from which a leverarm, 0, extends 4 5 to the stem 12, which is pressed down by the ball-arms q, when the speed throws out said arms. When the cord unwinds from the drum, it is also made to coil up the spring .9 by the wheels t and a, which also act as a retarder to the drum to some extent for limiting the speed of the descent; but the special ob ject of the spring is to coil up the rope again for the use of other persons. 7

The apparatus is arranged in housing-plates or frames 10 m which are connected by bars or posts z, in the manner of frames for clockgear, to support the bearings of the runninggears, and for attaching the machine to the side of the wall at or near the window, or in any convenient place for being ready for use when wanted, by simply throwing the rope out of the window.

The object of connecting the drum to the brake wheel and governor trains by the ratchet and pawl is to allow the drum to run free of them for winding up the rope by the spring.

Any approved form of sling may be employed for the person escaping to connect the rope to him.

The inachine will be covered by any suite his case to-protect it from the dust.

I desire it to be understood that themachine is also useful as a means of lowering goods of any kind from burning or other buildings, and I propose to use it for such purpose also.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, in a fire-escape, of a cord, a, drum Z), highspeed brake-wheel g, governor k, and brake m, the said drum being geared to the train for operating the wheel and governor by a ratchet and pawl clutch, allowing the drum to turn independently of them to wind up the cord, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a fire-escape, of the cord a, drum b, high-speed brake-wheel g, governor is, brake on, and the spring s, the drum being geared with the governor and 9C brake by a clutch, enabling the spring to wind up the cord without effect on the said governor and brake, substantially as described.

DON J U AN ARNOLD.

\Vitnesses:

A. R. DAVISON, .l. C. MoNAUcI-Iros 

